Can I keep my pond water clear and not kill the goldfish?
The pond is about 4 ft round, 2 feet deep and I have a fountain running. It has turned so green we can’t see the fish unless they come to the surface to eat.
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How to…
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Good Info!
dont you think you should change some of the water?
i wouldnt be surprised if there were some dead ones in there.
You are experiencing an algae bloom probably from intense sunlight. That is why the water is grean. I would change 50% of the water and again in a few days if it is still green. Your goldfish should be fine. If your pond is frequently getting large amounts of sunlight, you might think about a way to shield some of the light so that the problem does not continue. Maybe you can create a screen or something for shade.
You have too many nutrients in the water. Fish waste combines with dead leaves, water insects, etc., to decay and make ammonia. The ammonia is converted, over time, into nitrites, and the nitrites are in turn, over time, converted to nitrates. And there is nothing plants like better than nitrates, as it is basically just fertilizer. And algae is basically a plant that lives in the water!
To get rid of the algae, you can do a partial water change (no more than 50%) and that will help some, but it is not a permanent fix. You can also try adding a flocculant – it will cause the floating algae to clump together and sink to the bottom of the pond, where you can scoop it out with a fine net. You can also add some fish-safe dyes to the water – plants can’t live without sunlight, so if the sunlight doesn’t penetrate the water to the algae level, the algae will eventually die. All of these products are widely available in places like Petsmart or Petco, and also online.
What you REALLY need, though, are more plants! If you put in plants that you like, like water lillies, anacharis, water iris, etc., they will compete with the algae for the nutrients in the water, and they will eventually win. We have a 3,000 gallon pond with about 20+ koi, some as big as 18″, and the ONLY way we filter our water is with plants. We spent many years fighting with bead filters and UV filters and all kinds of technology, only to finally give in and put in a veggie filter last year. Our water is crystal clear now, and the fish have never been happier.
If you want more info on veggie filters, e-mail me through my profile and I will send you some links and tell you more about our set up.
Hope this helps – good luck!